A bipartisan cybersecurity bill from the House Committee on Science, Space and Technology, chaired by Rep. Lamar Smith (R-Texas), was approved by the House on Friday.
The Cybersecurity Enhancement Act of 2014 aims to facilitate the research and development of defenses within the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).
The bill encourages competitions and challenges for researchers and developers. It also facilitates public-private partnerships and other collaborative efforts that would strengthen security within information technology systems in public and private spheres.
“Cyber attacks against the U.S. government and private sector networks are on the rise,” Smith said. “Scarcely a day passes without a report of a new cyber attack on critical parts of our nation’s cyber infrastructure, government agency or business. As our reliance on information technology expands, so do our vulnerabilities. New technological advances bring new avenues from which foreign countries can attack our networks. Protecting America’s cyber systems is critical to our economic and national security.”
The bill includes provisions from H.R. 756, which was introduced by Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) and passed by the House. It also includes portions written and supported by Sens. Jay Rockefeller (D-W. Va.) and John Thune (R-S.D.)